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Cultura Hormigónmanta Pirqa Laq'a by Gabriel Costa

Cultura Hormigónmanta Pirqa Laq'a by Gabriel Costa is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2024 A' Design Award Fierru Premiu in Wasichiy Imakuna Kamay Competition Category.


FierruWasichiy Imakuna· 2024

Cultura Hormigónmanta Pirqa Laq'a

by Gabriel Costa

Client: Castaa

A' Design Award Fierru Premiu Winner in Wasichiy Imakuna Category

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Colors

The Design

About Cultura Hormigónmanta Pirqa Laq'a

Kay ruwayqa ñawpa pacha Jama Coaque ayllumanta (500 a.C. watamanta pacha, Ecuador suyupi kaq) sapaq rikch'aykunamanta hinaspa arte qhipanmanta kallpachasqa. Tawa laq'akunamanta ruraykun, chaymi sasachakuyqa karqan tukuy ladomanta laq'a chirukunata allin chimpachinankupaq allin thakhi maskay. Kay laq'a hukninraykunaqa imaymana wakichiykunata paqarichinku mana kutichaspa, muyuchiq q'illay ruwaywan rikch'akuqta. Cultura yuyayta kutichimun hinaspa k'anchancharimun ñawpa pacha kay llaqtamanta ruwaypa chaninchayninta.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Fierru Premiu

Cultura Hormigónmanta Pirqa Laq'a A' Design Award Fierru Premiu mishak kan, yupaychay, kayta ruray yachak shinallatak industriapak mañaykunata paktachik alli diseñukunaman kun. Fierru mishak kashkakunaka hatun ruray ushayta, hanak yachayta, yachak yuyayta shinallatak ruray kamachiyta rikuchinku. Cultura Hormigónmanta Pirqa Laq'a sinchi yupaychashka, kuyashka shinallatak kuyashka ruray, ruranapak alli shinallatak mushuk yuyaypi kanata munanku. Kay Fierru Premiu japishka diseñuka industriapak ashtawan alli ruraykunata tantachin shinallatak yachaywan shinallatak ushaywan tantashka tekniku ushayta charin. Sinchi ruraymanta Cultura Hormigónmanta Pirqa Laq'a yupaychashka kan shinallatak kawsayta alliyachik ruraykunata kuypak ruray kan, pachata ashtawan alli kachun ruran.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties
The task presented by the design was to discover an effective approach for aligning the tiling lines seamlessly in every direction. The Cultura design comprised two distinct pieces: tiles A and B, each featuring a unique design. To address this challenge, the decision was made to make tile B a mirror image of tile A. Subsequently, by rotating both tiles 180 degrees, two additional tiles, labeled C and D, were produced. These variations in tiles enabled the production of a diverse array of configurations without repetition, inspired by the roller stamp patterns of the Jama Coaque culture.
Dimensions & Packaging
Width: 250 mm, Depht: 10 mm, Height: 600 mm.
Material: SSC/GRC.
Texture: Sleek
Finish: Semigloss
Tags
wall tile, wall element, 3D, concrete, home and living, pattern design, geometric, pattern
Production Technology
The manufacturing technique utilized involved the use of wet-cast high-performance concrete in thermoformed plastic molds crafted over an engineered aluminum routed matrix to ensure stable dimensions and a sleek semi-gloss texture finish.

After demolding, no modifications were made using any additional sources or tools for finishing beyond those originally utilized during the production process.
Design Challenge
The creative challenge lay in crafting an original piece to complement the other three, blending them together seamlessly to form a cohesive image of a repetitive bookmatched pattern within a natural design. The concept emerged: diagonal stripes intersected by inlays, mimicking a primitive depiction of animals. These inlays, strategically placed, would provide texture, allowing light and shadow to interact and imbue the entire wall with depth and meaning.
Research
The objective was to design a tile with aims of highlighting and bringing back the values of historical Jama Coaque tribe, around 500 B.C, known for intricate designs and innovative techniques. They pioneered the use of a roller stamp for continuous patterns, showcasing their innovation. Instead of using the same patterns, the focus was on enhancing compositions with fundamental design principles and enriching patterns with complexity.
Inspiration
Cultura is inspired by the distinctive shapes and artistic heritage of the ancient pre-Columbian Jama Coaque culture located in Ecuador. Renowned for their use of roller stamps to adorn pottery, textiles, and skin with motifs, they established a unique identity through this artistic tradition.
Project Duration
The development of the tile design was made approximately 1 year before production and was manufactured by CASTAA from October 2022 to December 2022 in Duran, Ecuador.
Operation Flow
The Tiling Method:

a. Determine the wall dimensions.
b. Mark the midpoint along the width.
c. Calculate the tiles quantity required to fill the upper left row
d. Choose your code type: single, bi, tri and quad code.
e. Place the chosen code in the upper left row and fills to the end.
f. Bookmatched by placing the opposite tile on the right half row.
g. Fill the entire second row bellow by placing once again, the bookmatched tiles from the first row with their corresponding opposite tiles.
h. Copy the block area of 2 complete rows downward by replicating it until the entire wall is fully covered.
Patents
Copyrights C-001-2019-GC (Cultura) belong to Gabriel Costa Year 2019.
Team Members
Designer: Gabriel Costa
Image Credits
Image #1 : Photographer Andres Carrion, Cultura, 2023
Image #2 : Photographer Andres Carrion, Cultura, 2023
Image #3 : Photographer Andres Carrion, Cultura, 2023
Image #4 : Photographer Gabriel Costa, Cultura, 2023
Image #5 : Photographer Andres Carrion, Cultura, 2023

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